(Eagle News) – Malacanang announced an automatic price freeze nationwide on basic commodities including food, agricultural products, medicines, and the petroleum products, and warned hoarders and violators that they would be charged criminally.
In a press briefing late Wednesday night, March 19, Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles said that this nationwide price freeze is being implemented immediately amid the state of calamity declared on March 16 by President Rodrigo Duterte because of the coronavirus situation in the country.
“Pursuant to Section 17 of Republic Act no. 10121, a state of calamity shall make mandatory the immediate implementation of the following remedial measures:
1. The imposition of a price ceiling on basic necessities and prime commodities by the president upon the recommendation of the implementing agency as provided for under the Price Act or the National Price Coordinating Council;
2. The monitoring, prevention and control of the Local Price Coordinating Council of overpricing, profiteering and hoarding of prime commodities, medicines, and petroleum products.”
Nograles said that under Section 6 paragraph 1 of the Price Act as amended, the prices of basic necessities shall automatically be frozen at their prevailing prices, or placed under automatic price control.
This is applicable nationwide with the declaration of a state of calamity by the President for six months over the whole country.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea had already issued memorandum circular no. 77 on March 17 directing all government agencies, offices, as well as the local government units to implement and ensure compliant with the issuances of the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture on the prices of “essential emergency medicines and supplies, and selected agriculture and fishery commodities.”
The DOH, DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are also tasked to monitor and review prices of basic communities, and enact price control.
Nograles said that the price freeze is being done to make sure that prices of basic goods and medicines remain affordable to all.
Violators could be fined up to P2 million and jailed for up to 15 years-
DTI secretary Ramon Lopez said that the implementing agencies have already created composite teams to “intensify monitoring and enforcement” of the price freeze and to “prevent and control overpricing, profiteering, hoarding and cartel.
He said that the government will “take appropriate actions against those committing illegal acts.”
Those violating the Price Act shall be “charged accordingly and shall be meted the prescribed fines raging from P5,000 to P2 million and imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 15 years,” Lopez warned.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar, during the press briefing, also reiterated the suggested retail prices for Metro Manila regarding nine basic agricultural products:
These are the following:
• Pork (pigue/kasim) – P190;
• Chicken (whole, dressed) – P130;
• Sugar (raw, brown) – P45;
• Sugar (refined) – P50;
• Bangus (cage-cultured) – P162;
• Tilapia (pond-cultured) – P120;
• Galunggong (imported) – P130;
• Garlic (fresh) – P70 imported;
• Garlic – P120 local; and
• Red onion (fresh) – P95.
DTI secretary Lopez also stressed that the implementing agencies can set even lower price ceilings for basic goods if necessary, during the period of the declared state of calamity.
(Eagle News Service)